The deeper Kael went—
The quieter the forest became.
No birds.
No insects.
Nothing.
Only the sound of his footsteps…
And his heartbeat.
"…Too quiet."
Kael slowed.
This wasn't normal.
Even in dangerous zones—
There should be something.
But here?
Nothing dared make a sound.
Which meant only one thing.
"…A predator."
Not just any predator.
The kind that made everything else hide.
Crunch.
Kael stopped.
Not his step.
Something else.
Behind him.
Slow.
Heavy.
Deliberate.
"…Found you."
Kael didn't turn immediately.
Instead—
[Core Sense Activated]
The world shifted.
And then—
He saw it.
A core.
No—
A mass.
Dense.
Violent.
Unstable.
"…What the hell is that…?"
It was nothing like the wolves.
This—
Was something else entirely.
Kael turned.
And froze.
A massive figure stood in the shadows.
At least three meters tall.
Its body was twisted—
A mix of beast and something unnatural.
Dark, cracked skin.
Glowing veins pulsing beneath it.
Its eyes—
Burned.
"…A Corrupted Beast…"
Kael's voice was low.
Tense.
These weren't normal monsters.
They were—
"Failed evolutions…"
Creatures that had absorbed too much unstable energy.
Stronger.
Faster.
And—
Unpredictable.
The creature took a step forward.
The ground shook.
Kael tightened his grip.
"…This is bad."
In his current state—
Fighting this head-on?
Suicide.
The creature moved.
And then—
It vanished.
"…!"
Kael's eyes widened.
Too fast.
[Warning: Host reaction speed insufficient.]
A shadow loomed over him—
Kael threw himself sideways—
BOOM!
The ground exploded where he stood.
Dirt and debris flew everywhere.
"…Damn it!"
Kael rolled—
Came up—
Just in time to see the creature charging again.
No hesitation.
No pattern.
Pure aggression.
"…Think!"
Running wouldn't work.
It was faster.
Fighting directly—
He'd die.
Then—
He saw it.
The core.
Through Core Sense—
It pulsed violently.
Unstable.
Cracked.
"…That's it…"
A weakness.
The creature lunged again—
Kael didn't dodge.
He stepped forward.
"…Now!"
At the last second—
He twisted—
The creature's claw grazed his shoulder—
"—Ghk!"
Pain exploded—
But Kael didn't stop.
He drove his sword forward—
Straight into its chest.
Not randomly—
Directly—
At the unstable core.
The moment the blade pierced—
The world—
Exploded.
The creature let out a distorted roar—
Energy burst outward violently—
Throwing Kael back.
He hit the ground hard.
"…Did it—?"
Before he could finish—
The creature staggered.
Its body convulsed.
Cracks spread across it.
Then—
BOOM!
It collapsed.
Not dead—
Destroyed.
Kael lay there—
Breathing heavily.
"…That was… too close…"
His body screamed in pain.
His arm trembled.
Blood dripped from his shoulder.
But then—
Warmth spread through him.
[Enemy Eliminated: Corrupted Beast]
[Reward: High Energy Absorption]
Power surged into his body.
Stronger than before.
His breathing steadied.
The pain dulled.
"…So stronger enemies give more…"
Good.
But then—
The system voice returned.
Colder this time.
[Hidden Cost Activated]
[Memory Fragment Consumed]
Kael froze.
"…Again…?"
A flicker.
A moment—
Gone.
Something—
He couldn't remember.
"…What did I just lose…?"
His chest tightened.
Not from pain.
From fear.
"…If this continues…"
What would be left of him?
He clenched his fist.
"…Doesn't matter."
Even if it took everything—
He would still move forward.
A faint wind passed through the trees.
Cold.
Watching.
Kael slowly lifted his head.
"…You've been there for a while."
Silence.
Then—
A voice.
Soft.
Amused.
"…You noticed."
Kael's eyes narrowed.
From the darkness—
A figure stepped out.
Slim.
Elegant.
And—
Dangerous.
"…Interesting."
Her crimson eyes gleamed.
"…You're not like the others."
Kael's grip tightened.
"…Who are you?"
The girl tilted her head slightly.
A faint smile forming on her lips.
"…Just someone curious."
She took a step closer.
"…About you."
Kael's instincts screamed.
Danger.
Far greater than the beast.
But strangely—
Familiar.
His eyes sharpened.
"…Have we met before?"
The girl paused.
Then—
Her smile deepened.
"…Not yet."
A chill ran down his spine.
"…But we will."
[To Be Continued…] 🔥